Ratchet and Clank: The Long Road Home

by ASmash5Lucario

Rivet's and Kit's dimension is finally liberated from the remainder of Emperor Nefarious' forces, and the two Lombaxes are finally about to go to the Lombax Dimension. But something terrible has happened in Ratchet's and Clank's dimension while they were away, and the 4 heroes will to need to rely on each other if they're to survive the long road ahead of them

8. Like a Rat in a Maze

NOTES:

If you want a better-formated version of this story,

some of the chapters of which will contain pictures and illustrations of certain scenes,

head over to Archive of Our Own!

[ /works/35908834/chapters/89535235]

Like a Rat in a Maze

Chapter Summary:

Ratchet and Clank arrive at Tekogai Outpost, but something isn't quite right. Why is the security so light? Can there REALLY be secret weapons here that Tachyon's been developing? The two heroes end up finding much, MUCH more than what they bargained for...

The light and colors of thousands of stars streaked passed them as they hurtled through the vast, endless expanse of space. The silver bot was studying a holo-plan sent to him by Skidd, who had found blueprints for Tekogai Outpost that somebody had apparently leaked online, and the Lombax was staring straight ahead - his hands gripping the yoke hard and his shoulders tense. What awaited them at their destination? How heavy would security be? If Tachyon was really trying to keep his operation there a secret, then one could argue security would be relatively light as they tried to avoid attracting the attention of the Alliance Rebels… Unless he wanted them to think that, in which case, what was his game? And Rivet… he couldn't stop thinking about her. Would she be safe? Surely she would; Halua III was unoccupied by imperial forces, according to Command. But still, the experienced adventurer inside of him said it would be exceptionally foolish to assume it would be as safe, as much as he wanted to believe it. These uncomfortable thoughts forced themselves upon the Lombax, repeating over and over again as they sped toward their goal… Maybe he should have told her before they left…

"I do not think I have ever seen you so… anxious before, Ratchet. We have performed missions like this a hundred times in the past."

The Lombax jumped slightly. Clank had ceased pouring over the holo-plans and had been watching Ratchet closely, his eyes full of concern. The Lombax forced himself to relax and gathered his thoughts.

"Yeah I know… Normally this'd be just like any other mission we've been on, but with Tachyon back and so much more powerful…"

The Lombax cut off abruptly. As little as he wanted to right now, perhaps the truth would alleviate some of the pressure weighing on him? ...No, he couldn't. Not now at least… But maybe, just maybe, a tiny smidge of the truth wouldn't hurt…

"…I'm…" began Ratchet, taking a deep breath, "…I'm just worried for Rivet."

Clank looked rather surprised.

"You are worried for Rivet? How so? She is a capable fighter, as I know you are aware."

"W-whaddaya mean?" Ratchet said quickly. Had Clank noticed? Had he perhaps seen Ratchet staring at her, his eyes glazing over and his face flushing whenever the male had watched Rivet demonstrate her physical strength whenever a hostile got too close, his mind flooding with utterly bizarre thoughts, the mildest being "(she could kick my ass)" as he saw her fight?

"You saw her yourself – fighting Emperor Nefarious, taking him down, and the hundreds of other goons that megalomaniac employed. She can handle herself, Ratchet… You are worrying too much."

"Oh…" Ratchet took a breath of relief. "Well, yeah, that's true… But…"

He hesitated. Maybe voicing another concern, one that was a little less close to his secret feelings for her would help him feel better?

"…There's also this thought I've been having… I know it'll sound totally weird, but-"

"Something 'totally weird'? From you? Surely not!"

Ratchet's ears flopped down, and he scowled at Clank.

"My apologies; I was only trying to lighten the mood. Please continue."

"Right…" Ratchet said, rolling his eyes, "…I've been having this stupid thought lately… what if something happens on this mission, and… and Rivet's all alone - like I was?"

Clank's green, fluorescent eyes widened in surprise, and for a while, he was silent.

"You were right. That is 'totally weird'. I cannot say I ever expected to hear you say anything quite like that..."

There was a short silence between the two friends, Ratchet focusing his attention back directly in front of them, and Clank rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"However," the bot began, "As long as you have me at your back, be that in a figurative or literal sense, I will ensure we both make it out of whatever situation we find ourselves in. You do not have to worry, Ratchet. We will return to the Phoenix tonight, just as surely as Rivet and Kit will."

Ratchet felt a drop of warmth slip into his stomach at Clank's words. He looked into Clank's eyes, and felt calmer and more relaxed. He was being crazy. Clank was right; as long as they were together, everything would be all right… Like always.

"We have entered the Kentaros Sector. I am disengaging warp-speed now; it will be best if we stop at a nearby planetoid so we can scout the outpost from afar and get a feel for its external security."

The ship slowed dramatically, and their surroundings came into clearer sight. A small planet, or rather, a large rock with patches of grass, was floating ahead. A short distance away Ratchet could see the asteroids connected together by what was clearly not a natural space formation – the interlinking passages of Tekogai Outpost. It was a lot bigger than the Lombax had expected.

Ratchet brought the ship down onto the bite-sized planetoid, watching as an imperial patrol ship was deployed from the outpost. The ship hovered up, a small, colored speck in the blackness of space, glittering slightly as it reflected the light of the distant sun, then with a dull thudding sound and a streak of light, the imperial patrol ship vanished.

"Ah, excellent. One less patrol for us to worry about then." Said Clank. "Is your O2 mask still functioning correctly?"

The Lombax equipped the device, sliding it over his muzzle. He felt cool air pass over his nostrils and gave a thumbs up.

"Excellent. Let us disembark."

The door hissed and opened, and a sudden silence pressed onto the Lombax's ears as they stepped into the vacuum of space.

"Testing comms. Do you read me, Ratchet?" Clank's voice, sounding as though coming out of an old radio, sounded in Ratchet's ears.

"Loud and clear buddy."

"Good. I am sending my optical recordings to you now."

Ratchet felt a dull buzzing in his nav-unit and pulled it out to examine it. He could now see things from Clank's perspective, everything with a slight, greenish hue added to it.

"Fancy! When'd'ja upgrade my nav-unit?"

"During one of your recent, longer showers. Had to do something to pass the time..."

"O-oh, uhhh… sorry, hehe…"

Ratchet felt himself blushing slightly. As was becoming more increasingly common, the Lombax had found Rivet intruding on his mind more and more, particularly during quiet hours, though lately she had been appearing in his mind in more risqué fashions – something that both flustered the male as much as it embarrassed him... and made him all the more exceptionally glad that Clank could not read minds, however good his perception of a person's emotions and mentality was.

"No matter - " said Clank now, "- this should prove quite useful; two sets of eyes are much better than one, especially for situations like this. Now tell me if there's anything you see."

"You're askin' me? Gosh pal I dunno. My eyes are good, sure, but I don't have kinetic energy trackers, heat-detection sensors, terrain evalu- hey what's that? No, turn your head left again. That thing there."

Ratchet was pointing at a small vent on the ground level, at the backside of the outpost.

"Ahh, good find Ratchet. I believe that is the air ventilation that Qwark mentioned. I shall be able to reach the security office and disable surveillance from there."

Ratchet shrugged, trying not to feel too pleased with himself.

"Well, let's get going then!"

He picked up Clank, who shifted into his jetpack mode and lifted the pair of them off the planetoid and toward the outpost.

"Hey pal, aren't the uhhh… Security cameras gonna catch us flying in?"

"Fortunately, no. The holo-plans Skidd sent me showed the fortuitous lack of security devices on the backside of the outpost."

"Huh. Kinda a serious flaw in security ain't it?"

"Indeed. After all, ninety-five percent of all stealth attacks and security breaches occur from behind… as do subatomic wedgies."

"Don't remind me… You don't realize how good you have it pal; you never had to go through middle school and deal with those…"

The pair touched down onto the large asteroid, next to some air-conditioning units, or as Qwark had once advocated during his brief spell as president of the Polaris Galaxy in an effort to make them sound more fitting with everything else, 'astro-ventilators', and Clank hopped off Ratchet's back and onto one of the large units.

The bot climbed up, removed the vent cover, and climbed inside.

"Careful in there pal… There's no security inside the vent shafts right?" Ratchet asked, watching Clank's surroundings go into night vision on his nav-unit as he moved deeper into the building

"Not according the holo-plans." Clank replied, turning left at a fork.

"Good to know these idiots still haven't learned after all the times you've snuck into air shafts."

"Agreed. I would have expected Tachyon to have seen to that, given the reach of his power and the cunning he has displayed as ruler of the universe. Perhaps some things really do not change."

Clank turned left again, passing by another vent through which narrow slivers of light trickled in. The shadow of a Herald passed by, its large metal feet thudding heavily on the ground, but it didn't notice the soft glow of Clank's eyes through the narrow slits in the vent.

Clank pressed on, turned right, and climbed up a short drop. He cautiously stepped over another vent, spotting two conversing Heralds below, and paused to listen. But after about a minute of uneventful idle chatter, Clank decided to move on. After walking straight for about a minute however, he came to a slope.

"Ratchet, there is a steep drop here. I will not be able to return to your position."

"Great… Think you'll be able to guide me to ya?"

"Yes. I have memorized the holo-plans Skidd gave me. I will direct your steps once I shut down surveillance."

Clank slid down, his metal body clunking slightly as he reached the bottom. Fortunately however there appeared to be no more patrols in the area, for it was completely silent.

Clank hurried forward to another sliver of light and looked out into a room full of monitors, an empty chair, a microphone, and a large keyboard – the security office.

Sensing no hostiles, Clank swung the vent open and hopped down onto a crate before leaping into the chair.

The bot connected to the central computer and was instantly filled with every detail of the outpost – the breakrooms, the reception desk, the wait area, the dispatch office, the yoga room, the ballroom, the arts and crafts room, and a set of passages marked as confidential that lead off the arts and crafts chamber, like Qwark had said.

"Where in heaven does Qwark learn these things…" Clank muttered incredulously to himself.

He hacked into the cameras around the base, showing him that the cameras used advanced bioscan technology that would auto-trigger the alarm if they detected unauthorized lifeforms. Clank opened a terminal and executed a command to disable the cameras. At first all the monitors showed static, but after spending a moment rapidly typing in a complex series of codes, the cameras flickered back to life, looping old footage and their bioscan technology turned off.

"That should fool them… Come in Ratchet, I have set surveillance to play old footage and disabled their recognition software. You may now enter the outpost without fear of detection from electronic eyes."

"Great work pal, I'm makin' my way to your position."

Ratchet sidled against the wall and peaked around the corner.

"Do be careful; there is still plenty of security roaming the halls. I am connected to the main computer and can see realtime playback, so I will be able to guide you passed the Heralds."

The Lombax could see a few guards standing near the gate to the main entrance, occasionally walking back and forth or away a short distance, then turning and walking back to resume their exciting job of standing in place.

It was during one of these 'wandering' phases that Ratchet took his chance – darting around the corner and swingshotting onto a lookout tower, disengaging it just as he was high enough to vault over the security gate.

He landed catlike on the ground and, after a quick glance behind to make sure nobody had noticed, he dashed up to the door, which opened of its own accord.

"Almost thought you were security for a sec." Ratchet said, relaxing and hurrying inside, the doors closing behind him with a hiss.

"Funnily enough, I am security at the moment. I can see your every move."

"Right. Just give me a little heads-up next time, won't'cha? Where are you anyway?"

"Continue down the waiting hall. There are guards passed the door at the end, so do not proceed through until I say."

Ratchet hurried on tip-toe down the hall, passing a few branching doorways.

"Anything I should be worried about behind these doors?"

"Not if you keep your voice down."

"Right, right, sorry."

The Lombax paused outside the large double-door at the end of the hallway, his ear pressed against it and trying to listen for any sound.

"Ratchet, take cover!"

He heard thumping metallic feet on the opposite side and flung himself behind a conveniently placed couch for visitors to sit while they waited for… whatever, just in time.

A Herald came stomping through the door, walking down the hall toward the exit.

"Go – now!" Clank said, and Ratchet, quiet as a mouse, darted from behind the couch and through the door, leading into a room from which branched a door labeled "Dispatch" and another "Offices".

"'Offices'?" Ratchet whispered to himself, slightly surprised. An office was the last place he'd expect these half-alien, half-robot monsters to spend their time.

"Undoubtedly a front to keep hostile scanners from detecting anything suspicious. It has been nearly six months now, and this is the first the Alliance has gotten wind of anything out of the ordinary with this outpost. You will need to proceed through the offices, Ratchet. There is a staircase on the eastern side that will lead to my floor."

"I don't have a compass on me right now buddy, which way's east?" Ratchet whispered as he eased the door open.

"It's your lucky day, as usual. The eastern side is on the far opposite side from where you stand now."

"Great…"

Ratchet peaked through the crack in the door, trying to see if any Heralds or imperials were sitting in the cubicles or at any nearby tables.

"No Heralds inside, Ratch. But there are a number of imperial sympathizers working. You will need to stay silent and out of sight. I will direct your steps."

The Lombax crouched down and crept in, hunched over, his ears flopped down to make himself less visible to anyone that might stand up.

Really it was rather fortunate Lombaxes were so short compared to just about everyone else in the universe. The cubicles were tall enough that he didn't have to make himself too uncomfortable to remain hidden as he set forth.

Despite the lack of armed soldiers, the trek through the office was rather tense. The dull sound of clacking on keyboards, the occasional creak as one of the workers shifted or stretched in their chair, and every once in a while, the low murmur of socializing coworkers.

"Stop - ", Clank said suddenly, " – hide in that empty cubicle behind you, an employee is standing up in the workspace ahead."

Ratchet quickly ducked back, throwing himself around the corner and into one of the boxed-in offices as an imperial walked out of her own. She fortunately did not notice the Lombax's tail whipping out of sight as she yawned, and continued to walk. The Lombax crouched down in the shadow of the unlit work area, watching as the female humanoid walked by and out of sight.

"Now – there is a support beam ahead. Turn left when you reach it, and the door to the stairs will be straight ahead."

Ratchet took the chance. He whipped out from his hiding place and crept forth once again, turning at the support beam as Clank had said, and eased the door open.

Soon as it closed, Ratchet straightened up and ascended the stairs.

"Well done, Ratchet. I am in the door to your right."

The door to his right swung outward from within, and there stood Clank.

"Thanks pal… Not gonna lie, that was kinda tense."

"Indeed. It is not every day we get to exercise our rusted stealth servos, is it?"

The pair quickly but quietly ran down the slightly curved hallway, Ratchet following Clank's whispered directions.

They took another set of stairs – down this time, crossed a skybridge that connected part of the outpost to another asteroid, sprayed themselves with a topiary sprinkler to blend in with some decorative shrubbery when a Herald came unexpectedly through a door ahead, and took a right fork at the end of a passage.

"We there yet?" Ratchet hissed.

"Nearly – the arts and crafts room is straight ahead."

"So there's something I don't get – if Tachyon was trying to keep the real purpose of this outpost a secret and he was trying to avoid arousing suspicion in the Alliance, why the heck'd he make this outpost so big?"

"A multi-billion military force demands large bases lookout posts."

"I mean, sure I get that, but considering how few Heralds and imperials we've seen here, it just seems a bit strange to have all this space and not put it to much use."

"You are surely not complaining about the lack of resistance?"

"No of course not! I'd rather this be quick an' easy just as much as you pal."

"Then perhaps we should simply be thankful and perish the thought for now."

They entered through the final door, walking in upon the most profound horror they had seen in all their years – a large circular room dotted with plastic tables, flowery, fluffy carpet, walls painted a rather foul pinkish tint, and papered with crude crayon-drawings of what Ratchet could only assume was Heralds, in bright, vivid colors, celebrating as planets burned behind them.

"...This is worse than I thought." Ratchet said.

"I know… that picture is uneven!" Clank hopped down from Ratchet's back and hurried to straighten one of the framed crayon drawings.

"Hey, Clank."

"Yes?"

"Save the housekeeping for later? We got a secret chamber to find."

"…Very well. But while I am here…" and Clank straightened the childish drawing.

Immediately there was a rumbling sound followed by a dull hum. Suddenly the wall on which was a window behind which was what appeared to be space began to slide down, revealing an elevator with a barred door, which slid open.

Ratchet stared at the wall in bewilderment.

"Well… I guess I'll give it to ya this time pal… Nice work."

Looking rather smug, Clank leapt onto the Lombax's back.

They stepped onto the elevator. With a clunk and a hiss, it sank into the floor, the foul, pink-colored room rising higher and higher before fading out of sight and plunging the two heroes into darkness.

They descended deeper and deeper, the dull hum of the elevator the only sound in the darkness, Clank's eyes and Ratchet's chest harness the only sources of light.

"Would it've killed 'em to put a light in this thing?" the Lombax asked, turning on the flashlight in his belt as they sank deeper and deeper into the asteroid on which Tekogai Outpost was set.

"I sense no hostiles nearby. We should be able to disembark with no setbacks." Clank said, to Ratchet's relief. He had just been wondering how they would get off the elevator if this lab, research station, or whatever they were getting into was full of scientists, Heralds, or other hostile forces.

Finally, the way before them opened back up. To Ratchet's slight surprise and increasing his sense of foreboding, the passage ahead was as dark as the elevator shaft. The elevator thudded to a halt and the door slid open again, echoing slightly in the long passageway.

Ratchet stepped cautiously off the elevator and the door closed again behind them of its own accord with a thud, giving the Lombax the feeling of having just been locked in an escape room. There was utter silence, save for the low, distant humming of what sounded like a machine of some sort.

"How curious… There are no life readings down here... I would have expected to pick up more workers at the very least." Clank said.

"Yeah… Something's definitely not right here… Whaddaya suppose that sound is? Sounds like an engine to me."

"Only one way to find out."

They walked through the dark, silent halls, Ratchet's footsteps, though walking as quiet as he could, still reverberating slightly in the still darkness as he headed in the direction of the humming engine. He peered curiously through open doors as they passed, looking for signs of life, but there was nobody there. Apart from a few scattered papers, there was no sign of a struggle; it was as though the place had just suddenly become inexplicably devoid of people and worker bots. The Lombax couldn't help but think of Kedaro Station in the unknown frozen dimension he and Kit had visited in their attempt to build a new Dimensionator, and he gripped his Omniwrench more firmly.

"Wait…!" Clank whispered, and Ratchet came to a halt. Clank's eyes had gone out, and Ratchet hastened to turn off his flashlight. Clank had sensed something and was trying to keep himself and Ratchet hidden. Through the shadow and the silence, Ratchet could hear somebody in the dark, walking at a calm pace, and something dragging along the ground behind it. It was not the sound of a Herald…

Ratchet waited, feeling on edge. He could see nothing in the dark, and was relying totally on his sense of sound to tell him what it was that shifted in the shadows. He wanted to turn his flashlight back on, but knew to do so would be suicide if whatever Clank had sensed was dangerous… And nine out of ten times it usually was.

The footsteps faded and vanished.

"It is gone." Clank said, his eyes glowing once more.

Ratchet took a breath of relief.

"What was it? Could you see?"

"…No, its life signal was… obfuscated. I could not tell whether it was organic or synthetic. It was as though I were looking at a sentient fog, or something?"

Ratchet looked back, his confusion and unease mounting. This made no sense to the Lombax at all; the thing, whatever it was, had feet, as well as a thick tail by the sound of it. He had seen a lot of strange creatures in his years since leaving Veldin, but never once had he met a creature or person that was both wispy as vapor yet heavy enough to stomp on the ground.

"Well whatever it is, it's gone now… Let's keep moving." Ratchet said, now drawing a Combuster and turning his flashlight back on.

"Be ready to fight, Ratchet. If time honors tradition, I suspect we shall become quite acquainted with whatever it was before we leave..."

They set forth again, Ratchet cautiously putting one foot before the other, following again the hum of the engine, which echoed through twisting and turning halls and narrow corridors with branching paths, giving the Lombax the crazy feeling that he and Clank were wandering through some sort of elaborate maze.

At last, Ratchet saw light – a turquoise-ish light bleeding out from beneath a closed door.

He looked back at Clank, who nodded, signaling to the Lombax that there were no hostiles nearby.

He gave the door a push, and it swung inward without resistance, again striking the Lombax and robot as ominous; If there was a weapon or something of great importance here, what was with the lack of security and personnel?

They entered the room, closing the door behind them, and locking it… just as a precaution.

Ratchet gasped. He couldn't help it – the room resembled a sort of lab full dead computers and bottled chemicals. But what really caught his attention stood against the walls - Stasis tanks, at least a dozen of them, full of that greenish-blue light, generating that low humming sound. Within each tank floated a cherub – those frightening creatures Lord Valen had unleashed on Theandros. They were quite still at the moment, save for floating smoothly up and down in the turquoise fluid; their singular eyes shut, their gaping, garbage-disposal-like mouths still, the tentacles on their back motionless.

"I'm not the only one kinda freaked out by this, right pal?" Ratchet was silently cursing himself for leaving his Pyrocitor back on the Phoenix…

"Shall I answer you honestly, or would you rather I try and break the tension?"

"Nevermind. Let's uh… Have a look around…"

Ratchet walked passed the tanks nervously. Even in sleep, those things were – there was no point hiding it – frightening, and he could have sworn that, as the two of them crept by, their bodies turned in his direction, those milk-white eyes, though hidden behind dark greenish, brown eyelids, watching his every move. But they snoozed on, the bubbles swirling around their heads in the water, causing the light in the room to shimmer slightly.

"Ratchet, wait. That computer there is still powered – let me see it."

Ratchet obliged, pausing at a table as Clank leapt down and woke the machine out of sleep.

He was blocked out by a password, but he swiftly broke through it and was in the main system, searching through documents and closing unnecessary windows.

"See anything Clank?"

"I… Yes, I do… Ratchet, look at this."

Clank selected a document which opened to reveal a breakdown of Lombax anatomy – male and female, young and old, short and tall. It detailed the Lombax species specifying traits and characteristics, everything from their engineering feats and affinities down to the number of stripes a Lombax typically had in their fur. But it didn't stop there – other files contained details of Lombax history, including their inventions and tactics employed during the Great War, as well as…

"'Field Studies'?" Ratchet repeated curiously, the phrase jumping out at him as one of the many files on the computer.

Clank brought this file up, and the pair read the reports inside.

Cherub Field Experiment 254:

Test Subjects: 5

Testers: 1 Lombax; male, mid 40's; occupation – archivist, adventurer

Outcome:Abysmal Failure; Tester survived with minimal injuries; all test subjects defeated, tester escaped

Conclusion:Subjects too susceptible to physical trauma. Biology unstable; increase tetramite levels and delta IV exposure to increase resistance and rebalance serotonin levels to enhance aggression

Cherub Field Experiment 312:

Test Subjects: 12

Testers: 5 Lombaxes; 1 male, late 20's; occupation – engineer (surprise); 2 female, one in late 30's, the other late teens, both engineers (shocker)

Outcome:Success; Testers dismembered in excellent fashion after 30 minutes. 9 subjects survived; Surviving subjects appear as capable as ever despite suffering severe physical trauma

Conclusion:Cherubs ready for action. Sending biology makeup and designs to ********* for mass production

Addendum: Critical flaw detected: the surviving Lombax broke three prisoners free and escaped on **-*-**** **; high delta IV exposure has rendered Cherubs highly flammable. ADDRESS ASAP

Seraph Field Experiment 172:

Test Subjects: 4

Testers:10 Lombaxes; various age groups, various genders

Note:Third attempt after implementing adjustments and ideas taken from observing ***** in the field.

Outcome:Success. All testers neutralized; only one subject defeated

Conclusion: Seraphs ready for action. Sending plans, biology, and schematics to ********* for production.

Note:Remove emergency shutdown button lest production units become useless

[CLASSIFIED] Field Experiment 1:

Test Subjects: 1

Testers:22 Lombaxes; various age groups, various genders

Note:The brainchild of His Magnificence himself; Handle with extreme care

Outcome:Success. All testers neutralized; subject sustained damage, but repairs underway

Conclusion: Increase ******** flow by 200% by command of His Greatness. Regenerative properties underperforming. Also supply subject with additional ******* (?)

[CLASSIFIED] Field Experiment 3:

Test Subjects: 1

Testers:58 Lombaxes; various age groups, various genders

Note:The brainchild of His Magnificence himself; Handle with extreme care

Outcome:Success. All testers neutralized; subject sustained minimal damage.

Conclusion: Restorative properties nearly perfect. Reflexes need work though. Take subject back to headquarters for awareness probing (?). Supply 10,000 cartridges of ******** for future enhancements as needed (a bit overkill, surely?)

[CLASSIFIED] Field Experiment 7:

Test Subjects: 1

Testers:217 Lombaxes; various age groups, various genders

Note:The brainchild of His Magnificence himself; Handle with extreme care

Outcome:Overwhelming success. Little to no traces of testers remain; subject appears pristine.

Conclusion: [CLASSIFIED] is ready for deployment on ******* **

"What… is this…?!" Clank said quietly, his voice full of shock. "…Ratchet…?"

The Lombax was staring at the reports before him, standing completely still, his ears drooped, and a horrible disgust and sadness flooding his very soul. Everywhere he looked were more reports, more papers, detailing gruesome experiments conducted on his kind. The death toll was in the thousands now, and showed no sign of dropping off. Tachyon was using the Lombaxes to create an army of monsters, serving the double purpose of bringing the universe under his control and exterminating Ratchet's race for good.

"I… I've seen enough… C'mon Clank, let's find that weapon and get the hell outta here."

But as he took the first step toward the door on the opposite side of the room, there was a loud, electrical hum like the sound of a dying generator, the pitch lowering steadily until all sound died. The computers all shut off, as did the lights to the stasis tanks, throwing the two heroes once more into pitch darkness.

"…I don't s'ppose you turned the lights off, did'ja?"

The darkness and the silence lasted only for a second though, as a single, large monitor on the wall came suddenly back to life, full of static.

Feeling an irresistible urge to investigate, the two approached the flickering, hissing screen, each step taken cautiously.

"Behold… The last Lombax in the universe." a voice said, loud and clear over the intercom, making both of them jump. The voice was cold and harsh, and it made the hairs on the back of Ratchet's neck stand up. It was a voice he knew – one he had heard taunting him over his isolation, mocking his race for their cowardice… had heard it in his nightmares ever since he was eighteen.

The computer monitor flicked suddenly to life. Pale, purple, scaly skin, a large jaw with a sizeable underbite, flaming yellow eyes, orange, spikey, ear-like appendages, and severe burn marks across his face from their last encounter. Tachyon had appeared, gazing at the Lombax, his yellow eyes ablaze with a hatred that contrasted sharply with the smile curling his fanged mouth. Unlike Ratchet, the Cragmite looked much older than when they had last encountered one another; His face was lined, making his burned face appear more twisted and sinister, his fangs in his jutting lower jaw were longer, his scaly skin had patches of white, and his voice, though still high pitched, was harsher and had a somewhat gravelly sound to it, likely from his years adrift in space.

"It's been a while, son of Kaden. How are you? How's… the family?" I heard from my servant Valen you paid Havenon IV a visit. Hope you didn't mind all the debris; my Heralds can be rather… rambunctious house guests."

Ratchet squeezed his Combuster so hard it was a wonder it didn't break. There was a rushing in his ears as he stared up at the Cragmite - the scourge of his race and the murderer of his father and mother.

"So tell me Lombax, why have you intruded on my private research lab here at Tekogai Outpost? Oh, don't tell me, don't tell me – you're here to steal my weapons, is that correct? Yes, I thought so… Tell me, have you found them yet?"

Ratchet and Clank looked at each other briefly, then back at the Cragmite.

"…What's this? Am I to assume that's a 'no'? Come now Lombax, I expected better! with your deathbot at your side, such a task shouldn't take you this long – after all, I tried to make it easy for you! I ordered the bulk of my forces here away from the outpost to give you your chance, and still you haven't found them? My facilities are not that big!"

"It's not the only thing of yours that's not big." Ratchet shot back, shrugging and smirking.

Tachyon's smile vanished like a lightbulb blowing.

"You wretched little-! How DARE YOU?!" the Cragmite screeched, hitting the arm rests of his throne and standing up, revealing a bionic insectoid-like lower body half and four metallic spider legs – a souvenir from his last encounter with the Lombax.

He took hold of a long staff in his hands, holding it as though about to swing with all his might at the monitor, but at the last second, he seemed to think better of it. The Cragmite relaxed and sat back down, the staff still in his hands, and Ratchet registered its unique design – the four spires at the top, the floating red crystal above it, and – now that he had got over the initial shock of seeing Tachyon again, a bright white gem in the ludicrous crown he was still wearing on his overlarge head – a gem that pulsed slightly, almost like a heart.

"…Just as childish and foul-minded as you were seven years ago… And just as predictable, I might add! There were never any weapons here, you worthless, miserable insect! I had Valen simulate a powerful low frequency signal to lure you out of your hiding hole, and like a rat drawn to the stench of cheese, here you are…"

Clank gasped quietly, and the Lombax froze, redoubling the grip on his Combuster… it was a trap after all.

"Take a good look around you, Lombax… This station will serve as your tomb forevermore! Oh, but I'm not that predictable, it gets better! Look!"

Tachyon cackled, pressing a button on what resembled a holo-vision remote. The monitor flickered and the picture changed from Tachyon to the backside of what looked like a holo-film theater. It was filled with a mixture of Heralds and imperial sympathizers, watching Ratchet and Clank.

They both whipped around, looking for the cameras. Hadn't Clank disabled them all? How were they seeing them?

"Oh, are you surprised? Well don't worry your worthless brain over such matters, it makes no difference to you one way or the other! You'll be dead in a few minutes whether you find out how they're watching or not! But they aren't your only audience tonight! Look again!"

The monitor flickered.

Ratchet was looking… into the Phoenix.

"Wha…?!"

Talwyn, Locke, Derek, Skidd, Phantom, and a hundred refugees were staring up at him, terror on their faces.

"But… How…?!" Clank whispered.

How had Tachyon managed to get a hold of the Phoenix? Did this mean he knew their wheareabouts? Did he… did he know about…"

"Rivet…!" Ratchet whispered, shocked and horrified.

"What was that, Lombax?" Tachyon asked. He had been cackling maniacally.

"Uh…! I said 'shit!'"

"My, my, such language… Aren't there… children aboard that vessel?"

Neither Ratchet nor Clank said anything, but Tachyon stopped laughing.

"But really Lombax, a congratulations is in order! None got to witness the eradication of your miserable species on Havenon IV, but tonight, you will serve as entertainment for my loyalists, and as a final message to all resistance left in the universe! Oh, but don't worry, for I, the Great, Emperor Tachyon, am merciful… you will be pleased to learn that I will exterminate your allies with the greatest of haste! …As soon as I find them…"

Ratchet felt a powerful wave of relief sweep over him at these words. Tachyon didn't know about Rivet, or where the Phoenix was. Clank, however, looked disbelieving.

"You mean to tell us you installed a holo-vision in our base and yet you do not know where we are? We are supposed to believe that, coming from you?"

"What's with the distrustful attitude, deathbot? Don't you believe me? Have I ever lied to you?"

Clank continued to glare at the Cragmite however, and the latter gave a frustrated sigh.

"Oh, fine! You want proof? See for yourself! Happy?!"

Tachyon switched the monitor to show a map of the entire system. Several Alliance bases, or destroyed Alliance bases, were labelled, but the Phoenix was nowhere to be found. Clank cocked his head to one side, evidently bewildered at Tachyon's behavior.

"…Look you worthless pile of scrap, I may be mastermind inventor and spread my influence to EVERY corner of the universe, but apparently you got some doomsday lunatics aboard your vessel who stripped it down and rebuilt it, making it impossible to install bugs!… Okay, that's WAY too much talking; I meant to have you exterminated thirty seconds ago! VALEN!"

There was a loud hissing noise from their right. Ratchet and Clank wheeled about to see Lord Valen standing at a console in front of the stasis tanks, from which began to pour clouds of steam.

"Is it my turn now? Oh JOY!"

Ratchet dove toward the Fongoid, but was blasted backwards as he collided with some sort of invisible barrier, rolling and bouncing along the floor and coming to a halt at Clank's feet, who quickly helped Ratchet to stand up as best as he could, given his small stature.

"Nah-ah-ah, Lombax!~ It's rude to interrupt! You're my guest, and I am providing entertainment!"

Ratchet watched, fear starting to trickle through his chest, as the water in the stasis tanks began to drain.

"Where… How'd you…?!"

"Oh, Valen's been here all along! He's been keeping to the shadows mostly, preparing your little deathday party here. I think you heard him as you wandered the halls earlier, did you not? Yes! Valen does love his theatrics… I was hesitant at first, but I will admit he performed marvelously! You should've seen the look on your face, Lombax… Valen wanted to get the fear within you to really spike before the 'festivities' began, as he would call it. Fear, as the good lord here tells me, 'makes the body and blood so much more delectable'… A tad barbaric, perhaps… But effective! These beasts do love the taste of Lombax after a good fright!"

The stasis tanks were almost empty now, and the Cherubs within began to stir, emitting unpleasant rattling sounds as their eyelids twitched.

"Listen, Ratchet… Those sounds - they will be the last thing you ever hear! Tonight, your corpse will serve as a feast for the Cherubs, your skull will be the crowning jewel on my wall! The Lombax menace will be eradicated at last, and once I ascertain the location of that fool Zedderek, the Cragmite Empire shall rise again!"

Ratchet and Clank cocked their heads, Ratchet's eyebrows raised. The two friends looked at each other. Who was Zedderek?

"…Did I say too much?" Tachyon asked, his mouth not moving much.

"Err… perhaps just the teensiest bit… Your Magnificence…"

"Hmm… Yes… Well, have a nice death, Lombax!"

And the monitor died.

Valen pressed a button on the console, and suddenly an automated voice came over the speakers, echoing through the lab.

"Warning – cherub containment tanks offline! Inconvenient Emergency Lockdown in effect! Please make your way calmly to the nearest alter and pray to your lord and savior Tachyon for forgiveness of sins."

The red emergency lights came on, sending the room into a dull, reddish glow as an alarm blared through the facility, making Ratchet clamp his hands over his ears, flattening them to his skull.

At once, all the Cherubs sprang to life. Their milk-white singular eyes flew open, their tentacles began flailing wildly, and, upon spotting the Lombax, began screeching and throwing themselves against the glass.

Valen turned to look at the two heroes. It was hard to tell, but in the dull, reddish gloom, with the sound of the alarm reverberating through his head, Ratchet could have sworn the sadistically grinning Fongoid's face had an almost… bestial quality to it.

"Make this fun for us, won't you darling?~"

Laughing like a lunatic, Lord Valen glowed bright blue once more, then faded out of sight.

Ratchet's eyes fell back on the writhing, screeching monsters behind the cracking glass of the stasis tanks. He pointed his Combuster at them, taking several steps away as Clank hopped onto his back, but he knew it was no good. Weak to fire they may be, but his Combuster was much too small and there were far, far too many to fight without a flamethrower or explosives.

Knowing there was no other choice, Ratchet spun about, tearing across the room and through the door opposite the one they had entered earlier.

The sound of shattering glass reached his ears, sending a wave of cold fear through his chest as the door slammed behind them. He ran down the hall, which twisted left, then right, left, right again, down a level, the echoes of the cherubs' screeches echoing through the passages behind him.

"Ratchet! Above you!"

A vent fell from the ceiling and a cherub fell onto the floor in front of him. Ratchet registered, with moments to spare, the monster's glistening milky eye, the razor sharp teeth, its stave-like arms. It flew toward him in the dark, and Ratchet opened fire. The fiery plasma struck the cherub in the large fleshy bald area between its mouth and eye, and sparks erupted through the hall.

"What's this? Did you forget your pyrocitor? Leave it at your little base, perchance? Didn't think you'd need it¸did you? Tsk, tsk, weapons cannot be lain down for even a second, Lombax!"

The beast cringed away when struck, shrieking in pain as glowing embers spread over its body, and Ratchet sped passed it, firing a second shot behind him as he ran for good measure. He didn't stop to watch and see if the beast suffered any crippling damage, but instead ran as fast as he could, his ears and tail flopping from the speed, not knowing where he was going, but registering the sounds of the horde behind him was growing louder.

"Ratchet, there is an elevator down this passage!"

The Lombax skidded to a halt as he passed a branching pathway, directing his steps toward the double door ahead.

But as he approached, metal bars fell over the entrance with a resounding CLANGGGG, trapping them.

"Now, now, Lombax! It's rude to leave so prematurely! I went to a lot of trouble preparing this little event for you!" Valen said over the intercom.

Tachyon's voice spoke now, sounding horribly amused.

"There is another exit down the hall, Ratchet… Have you checked that one?"

Ratchet didn't think twice. He tore back down the hallway, and in the distance he heard another crash – the cherubs were in the air ventilation system, bypassing the doors that Ratchet had shut behind him.

He flew through the darkness, the light from his flashlight swinging wildly in the red gloom. He saw the elevator and ran forward. But like the other door, this too was blocked by large metallic bars as he approached.

"Oops… I think I sat on a button! The elevator didn't close, did it Lombax? Oh, that is a problem… I can't remember if there are any more elevators in this facility! Dear me, my memory must be getting poor! But by all means, don't stop running, your life depends on it!"

There was another crash down the hall, which was suddenly filled with screeching roars. A glimmer of white and the glare of dozens of spinning, razor-sharp teeth. The cherubs had caught up.

With a yelp, the Lombax spun about and sprinted up the hall, turning at random corners, trying desperately to find some way to escape.

"Uh… Ratchet?!" Clank said fearfully. Fixed onto the Lombax's back, Clank could see clearly just how many cherubs gave chase, and just how close they were on their tail.

Ratchet glanced over his shoulder. There were dozens of them – sprinting after him and screaming with bloodlust, their eyes bulging, their tentacles flailing, saliva spraying from their bladed mouths, stumbling and running over each other as they continued their pursuit.

Ratchet fired a few blasts from his Combuster as he ran. Though not near as effective as the pyrocitor, the fiery plasma nevertheless caused the monsters to temporarily halt as large sparks exploded into being, causing the leading monsters to stumble, and creating a pile-up in the hall.

Ratchet dashed into a room and slammed the door, locking it. His heart dropped. They were back in the lab.

"Oh, would you look at that! The rat is lost… LOST in his tomb!" Tachyon screeched into the intercom, his laughter ringing in the Lombax's ears.

"Clank, how… how do we… *wheeze* get outta here?!" Ratchet gasped, leaning onto a table, his heart thumping madly in his chest.

"I… I do not know…! None of these computers will turn on with the emergency protocol active, and I cannot see any electrical traces leading to a generator or server of any kind!"

There was a crash from behind the door. The cherubs were back, banging against the door, which shook violently from the force at which the monsters threw themselves at it.

Ratchet straightened up, turning left then right. They were trapped, and there was no way out... He thought of Rivet, her beautiful face, the sparkle in her eyes, her adorable laugh, her voice as they had spent hours together with Clank and Kit under the sun and the moon… He would never see her again…

Ratchet swore furiously, making Clank jump. "No! We're gonna make it out! We HAVE to! We'll find a way! I'll tear these walls open with my bare hands if I have to!"

Clank's eyes widened.

"'Tear open'…! OF COURSE!"

"What?!"

"Ratchet, the Phase Quartz! In your glove! Return to the elevator!"

Ratchet looked at the brown, worn, leather he wore on his right hand. The shard of Phaze Quartz had remained stored in his omniglove, unused and nearly forgotten about ever since Emperor Nefarious' defeat. But the dimensional cataclysm had been prevented and all rifts sealed… How the heck was the Phaze Quartz supposed to help them now?!

"What's this nonsense about…?" Tachyon's voice sounded once more, the cruel amusement gone. He sounded interested... almost excited. "'Phaze Quartz'…? That mineral hasn't been seen in this universe in years…!"

Ratchet glanced at Clank, the monitors, then once more at the door, which was beginning to bend and twist, and through which the rasping and screeching of the cherubs was growing louder. He knew immediately that what Clank was saying was the answer – their only hope of escape.

Without a second thought he tore the opposite direction, toward the door they had entered when they first arrived, a narrow glimmer of hope blossoming in the dark.

"No! STOP THEM! STOP THEM YOU FOUL CREATURES!"

"Those are my darling CHILDREN you are calling foul! …Your Greatness!"

"SILENCE! THEY MUST NOT ESCAPE!"

Ratchet sprinted down the corridors, the alarms still blaring, but not loud enough to mask the unmistakable sound of the wall being destroyed so far back.

The elevator door came into sight – blocked of course by the large metal bars.

"All right, what now?!" Ratchet shouted desperately.

"Your Omniwrench! Combine the Phaze Quartz with your Omniwrench and use your kinetic tether!"

Ratchet did as the bot said and drew that small, purple crystal from his glove. The mineral sparkled curiously, its deep, unique color glowing brightly despite the reddish gloom, and... was it the blood pounding through his hands he felt, or was the Phaze Quartz… pulsing?

The moment the Omniwrench was bonded with the crystal, the Lombax felt a powerful surge course through him, radiating from the tool he held in his hand, which glowed momentarily bright purple before fading back to its regular hues of chrome and blue.

There was another crash behind them, much closer this time, and the hallway filled with dust.

"Now Ratchet!"

The Omniwrench flashed through the air and, as Ratchet activated the kinetic tether, a beam, not of mixed white and yellow as was normal for a kinetic tether, but of blinding purple exploded from the head of the tool. His ears blowing back and staggering slightly from the sudden explosion of wind and energy now emanating from the weapon in his hand, Ratchet watched as the beam of light wrenched the bars clean away with no effort, allowing the elevator doors to open at last.

"Oh, dear heaven!" Clank said fearfully.

Ratchet glanced back. A hundred cherubs flooded into the hall, racing toward the Lombax and robot, their screams louder than ever with their prey so close to escaping.

The Lombax hopped onto the elevator, firing his Combuster down the hall until the doors shut with a hiss and they felt them moving up.

Ratchet stood there, panting. He wanted to sit down – his heart was pounding so hard that he was struggling to catch his breath. But he knew it was only half over; they still had to fight their way back to their ship… Or maybe…

A Herald was patrolling along a skybridge on the exterior of Tekogai Outpost. It sure was boring at this outpost… when would he be called to assist in crushing a rebellion like 90% of the task force that had until last week been working and patrolling this place?

Suddenly with an explosion muffled by the vacuum of space, the wall was blasted apart by a powerful strike from within, sending stone, sheet metal, and debris everywhere.

The Herald was struck hard by a large fragment of rock, and his concerns about boredom instantly became a thing of the past.

Ratchet and Clank propelled themselves through space, back toward the mini planetoid on which their ship still sat, flying as quickly as they could so they could escape before security arrived.

They landed on the ground and dashed into the ship, slamming the cockpit door and firing up the engines before blasting off at warp speed, leaving the planetoid, Tekogai Outpost, and the cherub-filled lab of horrors far, far behind them.

Both heroes were silent for a time, their minds still reeling from everything they had just been through, and too stunned at their narrow escape to speak.

But finally, Ratchet gave a long sigh and slumped back in his seat, his shoulders relaxing.

"…Close shave, huh?"

Clank didn't respond. Though now looking more relaxed, the bot nevertheless seemed to be thinking hard.

"So… Phaze Quartz…" Ratchet said, putting the ship on autopilot so he could relax a while and focus on talking to Clank, "…didn't know it could do that… How'd'ja know?"

Clank blinked and looked up, coming out of his deep reverie.

"…My apologies... Phaze Quartz is among the rarest minerals in the universe for a reason; it is not only sought for its beauty, but its chemical composition also makes it a marvelous source of energy. Highly powerful and with a self re-energizing process thanks to its marvelous structure, my database indicates it can be used to power virtually any machine and amplify the strength of any weapon a thousand-fold. It is the only energy source I know of that is capable of powering the Dimensionator. Your statement of 'tear through the walls' reminded me of how we once used this marvelous gem to open rifts and warp from one place to another. The unfortunate lack of a dimensional cataclysm of course meant we could not warp out, but when combined with your Omniwrench, I knew it would be enough power to tear down the bars blocking our exit."

"Uh… right." Said Ratchet, feeling a little stumped at this load of information. He sat up a little straighter and his ears flicked up.

"So maybe our mission wasn't pointless after all! Turns out we can use this Phaze Quartz to our advantage even without the dimensions falling apart!"

"We also learned Tachyon and Valen are creating an army of monsters by experimenting on Lombaxes…" Clank said, looking rather uneasy as he said it.

"Ah… Yeah, that… that too…"

"And – ", Clank continued, looking hesitant, "and, I do not think we should use the Phaze Quartz much more."

Ratchet's head turned so fast he cricked his neck.

"What? Whaddaya mean?!" the Lombax asked incredulously, rubbing his neck.

"Ratchet, Tachyon heard me tell you about the Phaze Quartz. He sounded… curious, excited, even… I do not like it. It was foolish of me to shout, but I had to it so you could hear me over all the commotion. I have… a bad feeling about this. Remember the Great Clock, how Nefarious sought to abuse it, how Tachyon himself sought after the first Dimensionator when he learned of its existence. I fear the Cragmite will deduce why you have a fragment of Phaze Quartz in your glove…"

Ratchet considered these arguments… Yes, Tachyon had sounded excited... And his humor at his and Clank's situation vanished instantly the moment he had heard Clank shout. He suddenly recalled something else, something he hadn't thought of in weeks – something Locke and Derek had said about the Cragmite during their first night aboard the Phoenix: 'He's lookin' for something, and he's tearing the galaxy apart to find it'. Was this what he was after? Was Tachyon trying to build another Dimensionator perhaps? He had said the Cragmite Empire would rise again during his spiel before Valen had released the cherubs… Ratchet was sure of it.

His mind jumped again to Rivet. She had never faced the Cragmites, was unfamiliar with their brutality and instinctive drive to kill and to conquer. If Tachyon was trying to build a new Dimensionator of his own, he would know Phaze Quartz was needed… Ratchet's heart skipped a beat.

"(And now he knows I have it.)", Ratchet thought.

There was only one reasonable choice to be made.

"*sigh*… fine…"

"Pardon?"

"You're right… we can't use this anymore; not with Tachyon aware of it. I'll take it to secure storage when we get back."

Clank gaped at Ratchet, stunned. He had not expected this at all, no, he had ben certain the Lombax would argue, that he, Clank, would spend the remainder of their journey back to the Phoenix trying to persuade Ratchet of the danger that crystal now posed to the universe.

"…What?" the Lombax asked, raising an eyebrow at the bot.

"…Are you… feeling well?"

"…Well, I spent the last ten minutes running for my life and scared outta my wits for probably the first time since I was about to get into my first fight on the playground on Veldin, but other than that yeah I'm good."

Clank fell silent again. This was very much unlike Ratchet… admittedly the lack of argument was a rather welcome change, but still, the Lombax seemed very different lately… His temperament was more mellow, his playful, joking attitude more apparent than usual (which was saying something), and he had so many odd spells lately – spells where he was anxious when all was well, spells where he was extra cheery and joyous without apparent cause, and he was taking longer in the showers than he used to, making them late for breakfast. There were also those strange times where the Lombax just simply… spoke nonsense when Rivet teased him, making Clank's best friend stutter and ramble off on bizarre tangents, saying disconnected words and things that were completely out of place in the context of their situati-

Clank suddenly sat up straight again, his recent thoughts vanishing before he could finish processing and forming a hypothesis or conclusion as the last string of his thoughts brought something else to mind from their recent adventure.

"'Completely out of place in the context of our situation'…" Clank repeated.

"Say what now?"

"Ratchet… Who is 'Zedderek'?"

Ratchet looked blankly at the silver bot for a while, trying to think. But then his green, emerald-colored eyes widened, and he too remembered.

"That guy Tachyon's looking for!"

"…I think the Cragmite got a tad caught up in the moment, do you?"

Ratchet smirked. Looks like their mission was worth it after all… Whoever this Zedderek character was, the heroes now had a lead.

At last, at long last, the Phoenix came back into sight. Despite having never lived anywhere beside Corson V for longer than a couple years since the fateful night he met Clank on Veldin, the Phoenix was beginning to very much feel like home to the Lombax… Locke, Derek, Skidd, Phantom, Rivet and Kit next door, and… yes, even Qwark, as much as he annoyed Ratchet, and Talwyn as well, however his recent anxiety regarding her had been.

Ratchet guided the B-63 starfighter into the hangar and saw, with a wave of relief and excitement, the S-71 starfighter parked a short distance away. Rivet and Kit had made it back safe and sound, then.

The cockpit door opened, and there was a massive rush of sound.

"Woah, what?"

Their ship was surrounded by what seemed like half or more of the Alliance rebels, everyone gasping at the sight of Ratchet and Clank. Voices echoed through the hangar – "It's them! Ratchet and Clank! They're alive!"

Of course. He had almost forgotten – he and Clank had been on holo-vision, had provided a solid ten minutes of live-action, real-time horror for the entire universe.

The Lombax and robot climbed down from the ship and into the mass of people – Vullard, Terachnoid, humanoid, and Mort alike, all of whom were clamoring around them, asking questions that mixed together discordantly, making it impossible to distinguish fully what anyone was saying.

"Lemme through! I said OUTTA MY WAY!"

Ratchet's head turned; someone had shouted, their voice tearing through the mixed, confused sounds of a hundred voices like a drillhound through clay.

Rivet was pushing and shoving her way toward them, her eyes wide, her face twisted in anger.

Ratchet's ears drooped and he felt a spike of anxiety; Rivet was stomping forward, her fists clenched.

"Ah! Uh… H-hey Rivet!" Ratchet said wildly, a nervous grimace forming on his face as he took half a step back. Rivet was closing in, her face flushed and her ears flared. Why was she so angry? What happened?! This wasn't at all like he had envisioned his and Clank's return to the Phoenix!

The female stopped in front of him, breathing hard.

"Talwyn… she just told… what happened!"

Rivet pointed into his face and her words came out disjointed; Ratchet hadn't seen her this angry before, and was both simultaneously terrified and enthralled.

"Rivet! Please calm down!" Kit said desperately, catching up, but the Lombax either ignored or could not hear her.

"The Emperor… you and Clank trapped…! You… YOU-!"

Rivet swore at the top of her voice and several people jumped, backing away from the Lombax as fast as they could. She raised her metallic hand and Ratchet yelped, covering his head.

Next thing he knew, Rivet had pulled both him and Clank into an embrace.

"You… BOTH of you… You're alive…!"

Ratchet's mind exploded into a frenzy of confused emotions. His heart swelled to ten times its usual size and seemed to be beating somewhere in the region of his throat, all the wind died in his lungs, and he felt the heat soar into his face, his body feeling lighter than air… but at the same time he felt completely bewildered. What was going on?! Ratchet had been certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the female was about to kill him, but next thing he knew she was holding him and Clank tightly and her voice had returned to its usual volume!

The hug ended quickly, rather to Ratchet's disappointment; he hadn't even had a chance to wrap his arms around her!

Rivet stepped back, still breathing hard, but the anger was gone.

Kit stared up at Rivet, utterly shocked at what her friend had just done. Clank too was looking disarmed. He stood there, quite as still as Ratchet, apparently unable to process the sudden display of affection that Rivet had just exemplified.

Ratchet looked around confusedly, trying to resist the urge to throw his arms back around her or at the very least stop himself from leaping into the air. The shock was subsiding now, and he felt a powerful wave of joy and affection for the Lombax… even though she smelled strongly of seawater and grog… Something told Ratchet things hadn't quite gone according to plan on her end either…

He gave a nervous chuckle, and, blushing slightly, Rivet returned one of her own. Everyone was staring at them.

"RATCHET, CLANK!"

The tension of being stared at died as suddenly as the Lombax registered it. Talwyn was pushing and shoving her way through the crowd, quite as energetically as Rivet had, though her stature made this feat slightly easier, as many surrounding spectators had a chance to move before being shoved aside unlike they had when Rivet had come passed. But there was a confused mixture of emotion on her face. Her expression was that of worry and relief, and behind the deep blue of her eyes Ratchet saw… anger?

He gulped.

"T-Tal…! H-hey!"

Unlike Rivet however she didn't stop short of the Lombax; she walked straight up to him, bent down, and pulled him into a hug that nearly cracked his spine. Unlike Rivet's embrace however, Ratchet did not feel the pounding joy in his heart and mind, and the urge to leap, which a second ago had been so strong, had fallen flat to the earth… figuratively speaking. What was even happening anymore?

She held onto him longer than Rivet, and, though he no longer loved her in that way, the urge to hug back grew stronger. He couldn't just… ignore it, after all! But at the same time, he felt Rivet's eyes on him and did not want to reinforce her belief that he was closed to the idea of turning the Markazian down and sparking up a relationship with her instead.

"Leapin' Leviathans, rook! How the sam hill did'ja make it outta that one?!"

The voice of Derek was a welcome distraction. Talwyn released Ratchet and turned away, hiding her face from his eyes.

The two warbots were approaching now, Skidd and Phantom just visible at the back of the crowd, which had finally parted enough to make a clear pathway to and from the two starfighters.

"I'll… We got lots to talk about." Ratchet said, and Locke nodded.

"Let's break it up people we got work to do! Nope, sorry-", Locke said. The surrounding Alliance members began making a fuss over their dismissal. "Rest assured, all o' you will hear the full story later, but it's critical we get the latest from the rooks!"

Rivet grumbling to Kit over being referred to as a rookie again, the four heroes, Talwyn, and the two Aridians followed Locke and Derek through the hangar and back into the Phoenix.